Lost Hope
by zonbifae
Summary: He was gone . . . fallen in the darkness of his sins. And they were left alone, without the friend they missed most.


**A/N:** This is after the reunion of Team Seven after Sasuke killed Danzo. My take on what happened.

_I do not own Naruto . . . sadly. -sigh-_

* * *

In the end, it didn't matter. No matter what they had done, he had always refused to return, spouting off his ideas of revenge and vengeance. And now, he was going to destroy his home, in the name of his brother who wouldn't even want that. Hands clenched angrily as blonde hair shrouded darkened blue eyes from view.

The boy - _no, he wasn't a boy anymore _- the man walked down the dusty streets of his village, the setting sun in the background. Murmurs from the shopkeepers around him echoed, no longer filled with the spite and hate that used to taint their voices. Now it was filled with awe and respect. The man snorted derisively and looked up to the sky, towards the glorious mountainside that protected the village on one side.

His father's face, along with the only man who had been nice to him during his childhood, stood out regally on the carved stone. His Granny's face next to his father's, looking in her youth despite her old age. Naruto let a small grin behold his lips as he thought of how if she could hear him thinking that, she'd pound his ass into the ground with a flick of her finger.

He jumped onto the roof of the building next to him and took off to the monuments. Relishing in the feel of the wind on his skin. It let him feel that he was alive. That he could feel the pain from the tiny raindrops that had begun to fall as he sped towards his father's head, coming to rest upon it.

He sat down and looked over the village. The clouds had nearly covered the setting red sun from view, a light mist descending upon the village. If he squinted, he was sure he could see Kakashi at Ichiraku's. He felt a sudden presence behind him and tensed, but relaxed when he felt the chakra signature. "Naruto," she murmured, sitting next to him. The rain had drenched her hair and turned it a dark pink color, and the normal spark that was in her sea-green eyes had died out. _Because of __him__._

Naruto's hands clenched once more at the thought. "Sakura-chan," he said softly, his eyes looking into hers before he looked away, over the village once more. The sun had just settled beneath the expanse forest beyond them that surrounded Konoha, and the darkness of the rain was broken every now and then by the moon peering through the clouds to shine its light upon them.

Sakura shifted closer to him, shivering a little. An arm wrapped itself around her and pulled her close as Naruto let out a small sigh. "Thanks," she muttered, her eyes half-closed as she peered out over the village. "Nothing's the same anymore," she whispered, huddling in on herself as she tucked her knees into her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Naruto's grip on her tightened. "I thought... I thought there was still a chance, but he's so far gone." Her voice cracked on the last word and her emotions spilled over. Tears and rain flowed down her face as she leaned into Naruto, sobs escaping her chest as the truth of the situation surfaced.

Naruto's shoulders shook a little, his eyes staring out in front of him as tears fell from his eyes. His arms were still wrapped around Sakura, and he pulled her closer as she let out a wail of sorrow. A sob escaped Naruto's throat as he buried his face into Sakura's hair.

"I-I thought w-we could save h-him," she cried out. "T-That he would c-come b-back. But he's t-too far gone." She wailed again, tears freely pouring from her eyes, crying from loss. Loss of a lover, loss of a teammate, loss of a friend... loss of a family member.

Naruto inhaled sharply as his hands shook, trying to wipe away his rapidly cascading tears. "I-I won't give up," he announced quietly, breathing deeply to calm the sobs. "I-I'll make him come back... I won't let him d-die." All the feelings Naruto had been feeling since their meet-up of Team Seven with Sasuke came rushing back.

_Pain._

_Regret._

_Sorrow._

_Anger._

_Loss._

_Betrayal._

_Disbelief._

_Hope._

And the horrid feeling of your hope getting crushed into pieces.

And so they both wept, under the night sky and the falling rain that caressed them, telling them it was okay. Naruto's promise rang in Sakura's ears and she cried harder: in hope for Sasuke's redemption and in fear of Naruto's hope being shattered.


End file.
